Adapter for connecting devices



April 29, W24 I A. MCMURTRIE ADAPTER FOR CONNECTING DEVICES Filed Nov.10, 1920 Patented Apr. 29, I924.

AIDNAH MCMURTRIE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE THOMAS & BETTS00., OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

ADAPTER FOR CONNECTING DEVICES.

Application filed November 10, 1920. Serial No. 423,061.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADNAH Mc-MURTRIE, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Im provements in Adapters for Connecting Devices,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices for connecting electrical conduits,cables, or the like to electric outlet boxes and the like. It

relates more particularly to what I mayterm adapters for connectingdevices, by which I mean appliances which may be used in connection withconnectors, to enable a connector of one size to be mounted withinopenings of other or diflerent sizes in outlet boxes or the like.

There are at present a large variety of connectors on the marketdesigned to fit conduit openings of diiterent sizes, in outlet boxes.Various diiferent designs are made to fit a one-half inch conduit openin,for example, these connectors being of di erent sizes and shapes topermit the attachment, at various angles, of different sizes of conduitsand cables to an outlet box or other appliance. Various other designs ofconnector are made for use in connection with three-quarter inchopenings in outlet boxes while others are designed for use in connectionwith one inch openings in outlet boxes. The aim of my invention is toprovide attachments whereby any design of connector intended for usewith a half-inch opening, for example, may readily be used in connectionwith openings of a larger size such as three quarter inch or one inch.Accordingly, by the use of my invention, the variety of connectors whichmust be nanufeatured and kept in stock will be greatly reduced.

I accomplish this purpose, very simply and efficiently, by the provisionof bushings and also preferably of washers, which may be mounted on theneck of a connector.

Each bushing is provided with a head and with a shank of less diameterthan the head.

The shank has an external diameter of a size suitable to seat within adesired opening in an outlet box wall. The connector, of a size smallerthan that of a particular opening, may be secured in position byutilizing an abutment preferably by mounting a washer, on the neck ofthe connector in position to engage one surface of the box wallsurrounding the opening, while the bushing is mounted on the connectorneck in position to insert the shank of the bushing through the openingand to cause the head of the bushing to engage the opposite surface ofthe box wall.

In order that my invention may be more clearly understood attention is.hereby directed to the accompanying drawings forming part of thisapplication and illustrating certain embodiments of my invention. In thedrawings, Fig. 1 represents a vertical section showing one form of myinvention, mounted in position, an electric conduit being shown therein,in side elevation:

Fig. 2 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section, of thevarious parts of the device shown in Fig. 1, separated for clearness;Fig. 3 is a view partly in side eleva' tion and partly in section ofanother iorm of device embodying my invention; Fig. 4: is a frontelevation of the device shown in Fig. 3 and Fi 5 is a vertical sectionform embodying a neck 1 provided with ex-,

ternal screw-threads 2. At the rear end of the screw-threaded neck aperipheral flange '3, of reater diameter than the threaded neck, isprovided, a clam ing ring 4 being provided at the rear end 0? theconnector. This ring is shown as having a pair of up-turned ends 5, 5through openingsin which a screw 6 is extended. An electrical conduit orcable 7 passed through the connector may be clamped in position bytightcniug the screw 6, the ring a having one side-portion 4 which isseparated from the body of the connector and is free to be moved towardand away from the other side of the ring by means of the screw, in theusual manner.

The connector is adapted to be secured to an outlet box having anopening of onehalf inch diameter, for example, within which opening theneck 2 is designed to fit. \Vhen the connector is to be used with anoutlet box having an opening of threequarters inch diameter, forexample, in its wall represented at 8, a bushing 9 of suitable size isused. This bushing is provided with a head 10 and a shank 11 of lessdiameter than the head. The bushing may be provided with internal screwthrealds shown at 12, adapted to engage with the threads 2 on neck 1.The head 10 may be of a form suitable for easy manipulation by the thumband finger of the person mounting the device.

The shank 11 is of a suitable dlameter so that it may be slipped throughthe opening in the wall 8. If the opening is of threequarters inchdiameter, for exam 1c, the shank 11 will be of an external iameterslightly less than three-quarters of an inch.

- the connecting device itself is provided with no suitable abutmentmeans for this purpose, a separate abutment means, in the nature of awasher, may be provided. I have illustrated such a washer at 13, thiswasher having a radially extending portion 14 which is adapted to beslipped over the neck 2 into engagement with shoulder 3. The washer alsohas a peripheral flange 15 of suitable diameter extending about theopening in the wall 8 so that the end of flange 15 may bear against theadjacent surface of wall 8 sur rounding the opening therethrough.

The washer may be loosely slipped over the neck of the connector, asshown, so that it will engage against the shoulder 3, or it may besecured to the connector by screwing the same thereon or otherwisefastening it in place on the connector, it not being deemed necessary toillustrate the various methods in which the washer may be so mounted.When, as abovesuggestcd, the ar-" rangement is such that the head of thebushing engages the inner surface of the boxwall, the washer will be solocated as to engage the outer surface thereof. It is apparent, however,that this relative arrangement may be reversed.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, it will benoted that the shank 11 is of a length greater than the thickness of thewall 8, so that it extends some distance through the opening. In such acase the flange 15 of the washer must, of course, be of an internaldiameter sutlicient to enable it to extend around the shank of thebushing, so that the end of the flange 15 may bear against the adjacentsurface of wall 8.

In Figs. .3 and 4: I have illustrated the use of the same type ofadapter in connection with a connector 16, which may be used when theconduit or cable has to make an angle in approaching the opening in wall8. In such a case the neck 1 of the connector is joined to an elbowportion which is completed, in. the example shown, by a cover plate 17which carries a clamping strip 18, adapted for use in connection withthe opposite clamping portion 18 of the body of the connector. Thebushing 9 and the washer 13, shown in this example, may be the same asthe bushing and washer shown in the form of device illustrated in Figs.1 and 2.

The modification shown in Fig. 5 differs from the form shown in Figs. 1and 2 because of the fact that the bushing 9', shown in Fig. 5, is notprovided with internal screw-threads. In the form shown in Fig. 5 thebushing is provided with a threaded opening through the head thereofthrough which is extended a screw 19 which may be screwed into bindingengagement with the thread 2 on th neck 1 of the connector, when thebushing has been adjusted in position.

This figure also illustrates the use ofa bushing having a shank 11 whichis of less length than the thickness of wall 8. In such a case thewasher 13 need have no peripheral flange such as that shown in the otherfigures. \Vasher 13 may be simply a fiat washer, as shown slipped overthe threads of neck 1 into engagement with shoulder 3, or otherwisesecured in position on the connector, the external diameter of thewasher being greater than that of the opening through wall 8, so thatthe outer portion of the forward face of the washer will bear againstthe outer surface of wall 8 when the parts are adjusted into position.

It will be understood that my invention is not limited strictly to thedetails of construction described but is as broad as is indicated by theaccompanying claims.

What I claim is:

1. In connecting devices, in combination, a member to be secured in anopening in a wall, a bushing adapted to receive said member and having areduced portion adapted to fit within said wall opening and havinganother portion adapted to abut against one side of the wall at theopening, an abutment. element on said member and abutting against theother side of said wall, said abutment element being recessed to permitsaid reduced portion of the bushing to extend through said opening, andmeans whereby said bushing may be secured adjustably on said member.

2. In connecting devices, the combination of a connector having a neckand a peripheral shoulder, a washer mounted directly upon said neck andadapted to bear against said shoulder, and a bushing mounted directlyupon said neck and having a head and mamas a shank of less diameter thanthat of said head, said shank being adapted to seat within an opening ina wall with said head engagin one side of said Wall about the opening,sai

washer having a peripheral flange of an internal diameter greater thanthe external diameter of said shank, whereby the end of said flangemay'bear against the other side of said Wall about the opening, andmeans for securing said bushing upon said neck in adjusted position.

3. In connecting devices the combination With a connector having a neck,of a Washer and a bushing, both mounted directly on said neck, saidbushing having a radially extending head and a reduced shank extendingat right angles to said head from the inner edge thereof, and saidWasher having a radial portien and a portion extending at right anglesto said ra ial portion at the outer edge thereof and radiallyoverlapping said shank, and means for ad usting said Washer and bushingon said'neck relatively to each a other.

This specification signed and witnessed this 4th day of Novemher, 1920.

ADN MGTRIE. Witnesses:

Ramona P. HARRIsoN, Gnonen C. Tnomas, Jr.

